House Democrats demand end to 'cruel' US energy blockade after visit to Cuba
Source: The Guardian
Mon 6 Apr 2026 13.41 EDT
Last modified on Mon 6 Apr 2026 15.35 EDT
Two Democratic US lawmakers on Monday called for an end to the “cruel collective punishment” of Cuba after they visited the island to witness the effects of an US energy blockade.
The US House members Pramila Jayapal of Washington and Jonathan Jackson of Illinois met with the Cuban president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, and foreign minister, Bruno Rodríguez, as well as members of Cuba’s parliament during a five-day trip ending on Sunday. “This is cruel collective punishment – effectively an economic bombing of the infrastructure of the country – that has produced permanent damage,” Jayapal and Jackson said in a statement released on Sunday. “It must stop immediately.”
Meanwhile Díaz-Canel wrote on X:“I denounced the criminal damage caused by the blockade, particularly the consequences of the energy siege decreed by the current US government and its threats of even more aggressive actions.”. He said he had “reiterated the willingness of our government to sustain a serious and responsible bilateral dialogue, and to find solutions to the existing differences”.
Donald Trump has signaled a potential “friendly takeover” of Cuba while Díaz-Canel seeks economic cooperation without sacrificing sovereignty.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/06/cuba-blockade-energy-house-democrats
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